Legislation builds on bipartisan effort to strengthen protections for hospitality workers
Harrisburg, PA, August 26, 2025 – State Senator Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny) has introduced Senate Bill 976, legislation designed to protect hotel employees from harassment and violence in the workplace by requiring hotel employers to provide “panic buttons” to workers who service guest rooms alone.
“Every Pennsylvanian deserves a safe workplace, yet hotel workers, many of whom are women, face risks of harassment, assault, and unwanted sexual advances while working alone in guest rooms,” said Senator Pisciottano. “No one should feel unsafe doing their job. This legislation ensures hotel employees have access to help when they need it.”
Pisciottano’s legislation would require hotels to equip employees servicing guest rooms alone with personal safety devices at no cost to the worker. When activated, the panic buttons would instantly summon hotel management or security personnel to the employee’s location.
If enacted, Pennsylvania would join a growing number of states and municipalities across the nation that have adopted panic button laws to better protect hospitality workers, a movement driven by incidents that underscore the need for such protections. In Pennsylvania, there have been reports of housekeepers being harassed or worse while on the job, and Philadelphia enacted its own panic button ordinance in 2019 following worker reports of harassment in city hotels. Nearly 60 percent of housekeepers surveyed in Chicago reported being sexually harassed by guests, including being groped, exposed to, or blocked from leaving rooms. Similar cases in Seattle and New Jersey have drawn national attention, with workers testifying about being cornered, stalked, or even assaulted by guests.
Pisciottano noted that lawmakers have already demonstrated support for the measure when he partnered with Representative Roni Green to move the bill through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last session with bipartisan backing. In July of this year, the legislation again passed the House with support from both parties. Pisciottano emphasized the importance of finishing the job in the Senate this session.
“Hotel workers should feel secure knowing that assistance is always within reach,” Pisciottano added. “By providing these protections, we are safeguarding employees’ health and well-being and reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to safe and fair workplaces.”
Senator Pisciottano encouraged his Senate colleagues to join in this effort to pass commonsense legislation that protects some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable workers.